In yesterday’s blog post, we discussed the importance of being vigilant in the wake of the recent data breaches. Password and passcode security is more crucial than ever. If you wonder which are the worst to use, check out the most common ones and avoid them like the plague.
According to password management company SplashData, the top three passwords of 2013 are “123456,” “password” and “12345678.” The company’s list of the 25 Worst Passwords of the year was compiled using data that hackers have posted online, which are said to be stolen passwords.
The list had a large number of Adobe Systems-themed words and short strings of numbers. Words like “jesus,” “football” and “ninja” - which were popular in 2012 – dropped off the list in 2013. “Seeing passwords like ‘adobe123′ and ‘photoshop’ on this list offers a good reminder not to base your password on the name of the website or application you are accessing,” said Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData.
Here are the 10 most common passwords of 2013:
- 123456
- password
- 12345678
- qwerty
- abc123
- 123456789
- 111111
- 1234567
- iloveyou
- adobe123
Meanwhile, 15% of all iPhone owners use one of just 10 passwords on their lock screen, making it trivial for thieves with physical access to hack into their device with just some remedial trial-and-error. Daniel Amitay, the developer of the Big Brother Camera Security app, fitted some anonymous tracking code into his app to figure out which passcodes people were using most often on the app, which should also translate to the iOS’s proper lock screen.
The 10 most common passcodes are:
- 1234
- 0000
- 2580
- 1111
- 5555
- 5683
- 0852
- 2222
- 1212
- 1998
Comparing it to the list of most common internet passwords, one can see the similarities. “Most of the top passcodes follow typical formulas, such as four identical digits, moving in a line up/down the pad, repetition,” points out Amitay. “5683 is the passcode with the least obvious pattern, but it turns out that it is the number representation of LOVE (5683), once again mimicking a very common internet password: “iloveyou.”
Nothing new here – people often use their birth dates, anniversaries or graduation years (or those of their near and dear) for PINs, passwords and codes, fearing that they would soon forget a random number and choosing one they never could forget.
The conclusion is that people are predictable and don’t think much about security. Security experts suggest that we are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of things we have to remember in this digital age. The lesson? You should not be using any of the aforementioned passcodes or passwords if you’re serious about security. In the idealized world championed by security specialists, people would have different passwords for every Web site they visit and store them in their head or, if absolutely necessary, on a piece of paper.
Tell us: Is your password or passcode on this list?
Source: CBS News/CultofMac.com/NetSecurity.com/SplashData/New York Times